CouriersPlease has been a staple of Australia’s e-commerce industry for over 40 years, enjoying exponential year-on-year growth, continued collaborations with top retail brands and operating over more than 800 active franchise territories.
CouriersPlease CEO, Richard Thame, recently shared his forecast for the parcel delivery landscape for both this year and beyond. These predictions include everything from digital advancements and company side projects to regional expansions.
Side hustle economy booms
Thame predicts Australians will increasingly turn to e-commerce side hustles to supplement incomes, driving demand for flexible logistics solutions to support their growing ventures. Research from Small Business Loans Australia has found that 38 per cent of Australians are considering starting a side hustle alongside their existing job in the next five years, with 68 per cent motivated by the potential to earn extra income.
Thame has particularly acknowledged the changing tides of Australia’s economy and cost-of-living as one factor motivating people to approach e-commerce opportunities.
“With Australia’s living cost index rising by 4.7 per cent in the year leading up to September 2024, we are witnessing a significant shift,” he said. “An increasing number of Australians are turning to e-commerce side hustles to supplement their income.
“I believe 2025 will mark an unprecedented surge in Australians embracing the side hustle economy.”
These statistics, in addition to being driven by more income, are also driven by the changing concepts of work environments.
“Beyond the pursuit of additional income, we’re witnessing a fundamental transformation in the workforce,” Thame said. “People are seeking flexibility, autonomy and the ability to shape their careers on their own terms.
“This shift is redefining traditional employment models and fuelling the rise of the side hustle economy.”
Describing this surge, Thame pointed to Australians equipping platforms like Etsy, eBay and Shopify as easy and intuitive spaces for entrepreneurs to launch businesses with minimal startup costs, with Shopify taking social commerce to the next level by recently integrating TikTok Shop to enable in-app shopping.
“The integration of TikTok Shop into Shopify is taking social commerce to new heights, enabling in-app shopping experiences that were previously unimaginable,” he said.
Seamless returns and PUDO options
CouriersPlease observed a similar surge in side-hustle entrepreneurs and small businesses equipping the platform’s delivery services. These industry-wide trends seem to highlight a growing need for flexible and scalable logistics solutions which accommodate the changing demands of small-scale e-commerce operators.
This need for flexible and scalable solutions leads to another one of Thame’s major trends predicted to shape e-commerce and parcel delivery in the future, with the advent of seamless returns and pick-up and drop-off (PUDO) options.
Thame claims this anticipated shift will see logistics providers increasing partnerships with local businesses to expand these PUDO networks as consumers increasingly value simplicity and efficiency.
Digital-first delivery
In response to the continued growth of e-commerce platforms, Thame is anticipating a major shift towards digital-first delivery this year, with real-time tracking and priority services at the forefront.
Retail and carrier digital integrations will reportedly continue to be enhanced, and customers should expect to see more than real-time tracking, proactive updates and day-specific delivery windows that align with hybrid work schedules as consumers prioritise control and convenience.
“Australians now expect more than just fast delivery,” Thame said. “They want transparency, convenience and control over every step of the journey. We’re evolving to meet these demands that put customers in the driver’s seat.
“In the months to come we’ll see a sizable shift in technology being leveraged to give shoppers greater control, such as adjusting delivery time slots in real time. We’ve also launched CP Direct, our new booking platform designed for simplicity with automation that provides a seamless shipping experience for our customers.”
Resale commerce takes off
Thame is also predicting the booming of resale commerce on a local scale, following a specific growing demand for sustainable second-hand fashion. With Australia’s fast-fashion consumption under scrutiny, he said resale commerce will rise as more shoppers opt for second-hand options.
“Australians are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental toll of fast fashion,” he said. “As one of the largest textile consumers globally, Australia is ripe for change.”
Sustainability front and centre
The aforementioned predicted trend is very similar to Thame’s fifth one – a greater emphasis on sustainability. He believes that in response to consumer demand for eco-friendly practices, major retailers and delivery services will deepen their commitment to green logistics. If this is true, the market will see accelerated investments in eco-friendly facilities, optimised delivery routes to reduce emissions, green-rated warehouses and green-procurement policies.
“With the global re-commerce market projected to reach $413.7 billion by 2028, I expect we will see in Australia, where per capita textile consumption is among the highest globally, the adoption of second-hand marketplaces is expected to reshape the retail landscape towards more sustainable practices,” Thame said.
Regional expansion for metro-level convenience
As regional areas grow and Australians battle cost-of-living increases and property price hikes, Thame foresees city-level delivery services ramping up for regional Australians – creating more franchise opportunities in the industry and supporting local economies.
This bolstered regional delivery reach will create more franchise opportunities in the industry and support local economies.
Factory-first shopping
Lastly, Thame claims factory-first shopping is expected to increase, allowing entrepreneurs to sell directly to consumers and streamlining the buying process as a result.
A recent CouriersPlease survey of 1,000 Australian online shoppers found that 71 per cent had made a purchase through Amazon and 55 per cent through Temu in the September 2024 quarter.
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